$2 DINNERS

By Penny Hawkins / Special to the Times-News

Published: Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 03:02 AM.

After all the presents have been opened and everyone is stuffed from eating too much Christmas dinner, the last thing any cook wants to think about is what to do with all the leftovers. And while everyone loves turkey or ham sandwiches, it doesn’t take long before most folks are looking for a change in the menu. However, the prospect of having to come up with ideas for using those leftovers can be an exhausting thought, especially for cooks who have already been in the kitchen for hours (or days) leading up to the big Christmas feast. One of the easiest ways to use up the leftovers from your Christmas dinner is by incorporating them into casseroles, soups and other “one-dish” meals. Here are some easy recipes that make delicious use of leftover turkey, ham and even cranberry jelly. They’re all fairly quick to put together, and they taste so good that you may not want to wait until you have leftovers to make them.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except Parmesan in a large bowl. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour chicken mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with grated parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes, or until casserole is hot and bubbling. Serves 4 to 6 at about $1.95 per serving.

Wash and sort beans, removing any small stones or debris. Soak beans overnight in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 to 3 inches. Drain beans and return to pot. Add water, ham hocks or ham bone, onion, celery and carrots. Cook until beans are very soft, about 2½ to 3 hours. Remove hocks or bone; let bone cool and remove and chop meat. Return meat to pot with beans and add remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 2 to 3 more hours until done, adding more water as needed. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving. Serves 8 to 10 at about $1.23 per serving.

After all the presents have been opened and everyone is stuffed from eating too much Christmas dinner, the last thing any cook wants to think about is what to do with all the leftovers.
And while everyone loves turkey or ham sandwiches, it doesn’t take long before most folks are looking for a change in the menu.
However, the prospect of having to come up with ideas for using those leftovers can be an exhausting thought, especially for cooks who have already been in the kitchen for hours (or days) leading up to the big Christmas feast.
One of the easiest ways to use up the leftovers from your Christmas dinner is by incorporating them into casseroles, soups and other “one-dish” meals. Here are some easy recipes that make delicious use of leftover turkey, ham and even cranberry jelly. They’re all fairly quick to put together, and they taste so good that you may not want to wait until you have leftovers to make them.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except Parmesan in a large bowl.
Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour chicken mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with grated parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes, or until casserole is hot and bubbling. Serves 4 to 6 at about $1.95 per serving.

Wash and sort beans, removing any small stones or debris. Soak beans overnight in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 to 3 inches. Drain beans and return to pot. Add water, ham hocks or ham bone, onion, celery and carrots. Cook until beans are very soft, about 2½ to 3 hours. Remove hocks or bone; let bone cool and remove and chop meat. Return meat to pot with beans and add remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 2 to 3 more hours until done, adding more water as needed. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving.
Serves 8 to 10 at about $1.23 per serving.

Using 8 wooden or metal skewers, thread 2 ham chunks, 4 pineapple chunks and red and green pepper pieces on each. Place in a single layer on shallow baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. In small bowl, mix together cranberry sauce, cloves, mustard and vinegar. Pour mixture over kabobs. Bake in 400-degrees F. oven 15 to 20 minutes, basting often. Serve immediately.
Serves 8 at about $2 per serving.

Penny Hawkins is a former Times-News Cook of the Month. Contact her at twodollardinners@yahoo.com or visit her blog at twodollardinners.blogspot.com.